Every Four Frets

Okay shredders... In this lesson I am going to be going over some diminished scale ideas that are widely used in neoclassical shred guitar... I will be going intentionally in, and out of key to create great tension... If you like to stay diatonic, this lesson is not for you.
Great now that you know what's up with my lesson, let me explain my every four frets method to shredding. Alright first thing I am going to go over it the most basic diminished shape that I know of...Simple, pick a string, any string, and play a note, any note, then play it's minor third... Four frets up, then the flatted fifth... Four frets up from the minor third...that is a diminished shape... Let me show you.

Now that's just e diminished... A triad shape... What I like to do is make that into a symmetrical scale, and work it up the neck... This does take some stretchin, and it is definitely not in any key... What I am talking about looks like this.

Again, that is not a real scale, it is in no particular key, it sounds really off color, or tense...almost sickening... Metal basically... Now you can move that up and down the neck as you please, every four frets you can play that shape, and it will sound nice and metal.
Alright next little trick... This is a diminished scale, and yes this one is and actual scale, played on the top four strings only, and repeated every four frets just like the diminished shape above. It looks like this.

You can move that whole shape around by four frets all over the neck just like other diminished stuff, and it sounds cool. That scale there is e diminished again, but the scale not the triad shape. It is in key with fmaj when you play it like it is above, but what I like to do is go immediately out of key, and slide it around, every for frets to shred it. Sounds cool.
One more every fourth fret trick...this one is the most advanced, but is pretty easy if you give it a solid hour, or two of practice. It is sweeping, yes, I said sweeping...Guitarists fear this word everywhere you go, which is why I love the technique so much, plus it gives you a LOT of speed when you get it down good. Alright, this is a diminished sweep arpeggio, just a triad played on three strings, giving you six notes, for a great triplet feel. Then I will show you how to play the same shape on other strings so you can play it where you want... This works every for frets too!

Those are all diminishe triad sweeps...the root note is always in the middle of the two strings you are sweeping on... You can move these every for frets up and down the neck all over everywhere, and it sounds cool. I love this every four frets thing, and I hope it inspires you in your playing. Good luck with your shredding...remember... Practice slow with a metronome, then move the licks up to speed. Let me know how you like the lesson too! Later shredders.

12 + 4 = 16--ok, got that one, but how is . . .
12 + 3 = 15, a four fret anything???---do you mean that the shape can properly move to 16 as starting point, or down the neck to the 8 position---
I am lost ,,,,

The first two guitar examples may sound cool, but
they are no way right in a theoretical way...
A diminished triad consists of (1 b3 b5) The examples shows the tones: (1)(3)(#5). That's called an augmented triad.
(Now, I don't think the shredders out there care much about theory, but at least you should know the four triads... (Major, minor, diminished, augmented)

The 12 13 15 is a diminished scale, you move the scale every for frets.... and everything on the page was diminished....They are not augmented you are incorrect...and what I'm saying is you can move only a diminished shape every for frets on the neck and it sounds cool. As I stated in the lesson this is not based in theory, this is intentionally going outside of theory to create tension....I know major, minor, augmented, diminished, lydian, mixolydian, phrygian, and all the diatonic modes.....I know pentatonics....And I use all that stuff too, but this lesson is about neoclassical shred guitar, a whole nother ball game...not blues, not rock, not modes, not pentatonics, this is homemade theory....my own personal way of shredding....if you try it out, you might like the sound, that's all I'm saying...don't throw theory out the window, just use it in different situations....and again....there are really not augmented at all.....you obviously know your theory, but you don't seem to know your shapes on the neck....this is based all on shapes...not theory.

I knew this lesson would confuse people though.....it confuses you because it goes against all the theory you've ever learned...again, not based in theory at all....homeade shapes that sound great every four frets.....that's all this is. Try it, I'm telling you, you will like if you like metal, or shred guitar.

I'm not against the whole concept of "every four frets", I think it's good for shredding and to create tension, but what I'm saying is that
{--12--16--20--} is a single string augmented triad (arpeggio) not a diminished...
Maybe you just typed in the wrong fret number and meant {-12--15--18-} cause thats a diminished triad

That is what happened....I just went back and read it.....blah I was on my way to the bar when I wrote this so I was in a hurry....You got me....oh well...hopefully someone out there will like this as much as me, and read these comments so they don't go on thinking that, that first shape is right....